Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-22
INTERSTATE COMMERCE BILL.
Text of the Bill as Passed by Both
Houses of Congress.

Text OF the Bill as Passed by Both
Houses of Congress.
| special by Telegraph
WASHINGTON, January 21st.-The inter
state commerce bill, as agreed upon by
both houses of Congress, in its first section
applies the provisions of this Act to any
common carrier engaged in the transporta-
ton of passengers wholly by railroads or
partly by railroads and partly by water,
when both are used, under common control
or management OF arrangement, through
more than one State or Territory, or from
| any place in the United States to an ada
cent foreign country. 1t defines the term
railroad - TO include all bridges and fer
ries used or operated by any railroad. All
charges made for any service rendered in
the transportation of passengers or prop
erty shall be reasonable and Just, and every
unjust and unreasonable charge for such
service is prohibited and declared to be un-
lawful.
Section makes it unlawful for any COM
mon carrier subject TO the provisions of
this Act, to charge, demand, collect or
receive, directly or indirectly from any
person or persons, greater or less compen-
sation for any service rendered in the trans
porting of passengers or property that it
any other person or persons for doing for
him or them like and contemporaneous
service in transportation of like kind of
traffic, under substantially similar circum-
stances and conditions.
Section makes it unlawful for any COM
mon carrier. subject to the provisions of
this Act to make or give any undue Or rea-
sonable preference or advantage to any
particular person, company, firm, corpora
ton or locality. or any particular descrip-
ton of traffic. Every common carrier SUBJ
iect to the provisions of this Act shall ac-
cording to their respective powers, afford
all reasonable, proper and equal facilities
for an interchange of traffic between their
respective lines, and for the receiving, for
warding and delivering of passengers and
property to and from their several lines,
and those connecting Herewith, and shall
not discriminate in their rates and charges
between such connecting lines.
Sections and dong and short haul and
pooling sectiOns) are as follows
Section 4 That il shall be unlawful for
any common carrier subject to the provis-
ions of this Act, to charge or receive any
greater compensation in the aggregate for
the transportation of passengers or of like
kind of property, under substantially simi-
lar circumstances and conditions, for
shorter than for longer distances over the
same line in the same direction, the shorter
being included, within the longer distance :
but this shall not be construed as authoriz-
ing any common carrier, within the terms
of this Act to charge and receive az great
compensation for the shorter as for the
longer distance; provided, however, that
upon application to the Commission ap-
pointed under the provisions of this Act,
such common carrier may, in special cases,
after investigation by the Commission, be
authorized to charge less for longer than
for shorter distances for the transportation
OF passengers and property, and the Com
mission may, from time To time, prescribe
the extent TO which such designated COM
mon carriers may be relieved from the
operation of this section of his Act.
Section 3. That il shall be unlawful for
any common carrier subject TO the provis-
ions of this Act to enter into any contract,
agreement or combination with any other
common carrier. or carriers;fo for the pooling
of freights of different and competing rail-
roads, or TO divide between them the aggre-
gate or net proceeds of the earnings of such
railroads, or any portion thereof, and in
any case of an agreement for the pooling of
fre;ghts as before said, each day of its con-
tinuance shall be deemed a separate Of
fense.
Section requires that after 80 days from
the passage of this Act, every common car
rier subject TO its provisions shall have
printed, and keep for public inspection,
schedules, showing rates, fares and charges,
and, in addition TO requiring railroads to
give publicity at all of the depots on their
several lines, it gives authority to the
Commission, where it is proper and neces-
sary, to require them to give publicity to
q. L. Al
OF their several railroads. 1t also provides
that the rates, fares and charges shall not
be raised except after ten days of public
| notice, but that they may be reduced with
out previous public notice. The notice,
however shall be simultaneous with the
reduction itself.
Section makes it unlawful for any COM
mon carrier to enter into any combination
| or agreement to prevent the carriage of
| freights from being continuous from the
place of shipment to the place of desti-
nation.
| Section declares that any common car
| rier violating the provisions of this Act
shall be liable to the person or persons in
| jured thereby, for the full amount of dam
ages sustained in consequence of any such
violation, together with reasonable counsel
| or attorneys fee.
|
| to have been damaged by the action of
| common carriers, may proceed for the re-
covery of their damages, either in the
Courts of the United States or before the
Commission herein provided for, but not
before both tribunals.
| Section 10 makes it a penal offense to
violate any provisions of this Act, and
puts the maximum of the fine which NAV
be imposed at the sum of 5000.
| The eleven following sections contain the
| Commission features of the bill. They
provide for a Commission, to consist of five
| persons, whose term of Office shall be for
six years except for the first appointments,
which are to be for two, three. four, five
and six years. The members OF this Com
mission are to be appointed by the Presi-
| dent, by and with the advice and consent
| of the Senate. Their principal office shall
be in Washington, but they may hold ses-
sions at other places than Washington,
and single member of the Commission
may take testimony anywhere as may be
directed by the Commission. These Com
missioners have salaries of 81 500 each.
The Commission has power to appoint a
Secretary, with an annual salary of So 500,
and has authority to employ and fix the
compensation of such other employees as
may be necessary to the proper perform
ance of its duties, subject to the approval
of the Secretary of the Interior.
Section p provides that nothing con-
tanned in this Act shall abridge the RENE
dies now existing at common law or by
statute.
Section % appropriates 100000 for the
purposes of this Act, for the fiscal Year end.
ing June 30, 1885,
Section "a provides that the provisions Of
Sections IL and Is of this Act, relating to
the appointment and organization of the
Commission herein provided for, shall take
effect Immediately, and the remaining pro.
visions Of this Act shall take effect sixty